Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman says that he wants a title shot after winning at UFC Oklahoma City this Saturday.
Usman takes on Dricus du Plessis in a five-round middleweight headliner at UFC OKC this weekend. Following a long and successful UFC career, mainly fought at welterweight, Usman is moving up to middleweight at age 39 and trying his hand in another weight class after a dominant unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley in his last bout at UFC Atlanta last June.
Should Usman defeat du Plessis, he wants a title shot next — at either 185 lbs or back down at 170 lbs.
Kamaru Usman Wants Title Shot Next
Speaking to the media this week in Oklahoma City ahead of Saturday’s event, Usman made it clear that if he beats du Plessis, he wants to fight for the belt next, against either UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland or UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.
“Sean Strickland. I mean, that makes sense. That’s pretty easy. It’s either Sean Strickland or Islam, if Islam is still the champion, which I assume he will be,” Usman said (via MMAFighting.com).
Strickland doesn’t currently have his next fight booked, but he is rumored to fight Khamzat Chimaev in a rematch later this year. As for Makhachev, he takes on Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia.
Should Usman beat du Plessis in what would be a major upset, then he would be right there in line for a title shot given how big of a name he is as a legend of the sport.
It’s worth mentioning that Usman has a previous win over Strickland from 2017 when they were both competing in the UFC welterweight division.
Kamaru Usman Thinks Title Paths at Either Weight Class Are Difficult
When asked if Usman moved up to middleweight because he felt that getting a title shot at 185 lbs was easier than getting one at 170 lbs, “The Nigerian Nightmare” wouldn’t say that’s the case.
But when the UFC made it clear that Machado Garry was getting the next welterweight title shot, Usman found himself in a position where he just needed to take a fight and stay busy. With a former title holder in du Plessis needing an opponent, moving up to middleweight to fight him just made a lot of sense.
“I wouldn’t say easier. I think it just fit. It just made sense. I obviously wanted the Islam fight. We talked about that and I thought that was what was going to be next, but unfortunately, in these things like this, the company kind of has a say – a big say – in this and they felt this was an opportunity. Obviously, I’ve been up here before and fought the former champion, and so this one just made sense at this time, but it’s definitely not easy. I wouldn’t say easier, with respect to some of these guys right now at the top. I mean, guys like Jared Cannonier, guys like Nassourdine Imavov, Caio Borralho, all these guys, Robocop. All of these guys are extremely tough, just like Prates and Morales, and all these guys. Hey, it is what it is,” Usman said.
Kamaru Usman Wants Title Shot Following UFC OKC Win